1.7 Manuel Bandura

Manuel Bandura

Features of banduras observational learning

• Vicarious Reinforcement

• The Role of Cognitive Processes

Vicarious Reinforcement

• We learn through vicarious reinforcement by observing the behavior of other people and the consequences of that behavior.

• Focus on learning by observation or example

The Role of Cognitive Processes

• treatment of internal cognitive or thought processes

• Bandura believed that cognitive processes could influence observational learning

• “we make a deliberate, conscious decision to behave in the same way”

• We must be capable of anticipating & appreciating the consequences of behaviour: we can regulate & guide our behaviour by visualizing or imagining those consequences, even though we have not experienced them ourselves.

observational learning

• the importance in the learning process of observing other people’s behavior

Disinhibition

• refers to the weakening of an inhibition or restraint through exposure to a model.

Example of Disinhibition

• people in a crowd may start a riot, breaking windows, exhibiting physical & verbal behaviors they would never perform when alone

• They are more likely to discard their inhibitions against aggressive behavior if they see other people around them doing so.

Characteristics of the influencing Modeling Situation

• the characteristics of the models

• the characteristics of the observers

• the reward consequences associated with the behaviors

nature of observational learning is governed by four mechanisms

• attentional processes

• retention processes

• production processes

• incentive & motivational processes

Attentional processes

• Developing our cognitive processes & perceptual skills so that we can pay sufficient attention to a model

• & perceiving the model accurately enough, to imitate displayed behaviour

Example of Attentional processes

Staying awake during driver’s education class.

Retention processes

• Retaining or remembering the model’s behavior so that we can imitate or repeat it at a later time.

• We use our cognitive processes to form mental images & verbal descriptions of the model’s behavior.

Example of Retention processes

taking notes on the lecture material or the video of a person driving a car.

Production processes

Translating the mental images or verbal symbolic representations of the model’s behavior into our own overt behavior by physically producing the responses & receiving feedback on the accuracy of our continued practice.

Example of Production processes

Getting in a car with an instructor to practice shifting gears and dodging the traffic cones in the school parking lot.

Incentive & motivational processes

Perceiving that the model’s behavior leads to a reward and thus expecting that our learning & successful performance of the same behavior will lead to similar consequences.

Example of Incentive & motivational processes

expecting that when we have mastered driving skills, we will pass the state test and receive a driver’s license.

Bandura’s approach to personality

• the self is a set of cognitive processes and structures concerned with thought and perception

According to Bandura two important aspects of the self

• self- reinforcement

• self-efficacy

Self-Reinforcement

Administering rewards or punishments to oneself for meeting, exceeding, or falling short of one’s own expectations or standards.

Self-efficacy

Our feeling of adequacy, efficiency, and competence in coping with life.

• how much you believe in your ability to do something or handle a task.

Our judgment about our self-efficacy is based on:

• performance attainment

• vicarious experiences

• verbal persuasion

• physiological & emotional arousal

• P = Performance attainment (your past success/failure)

• V = Vicarious experiences (watching others succeed)

• V = Verbal persuasion (encouragement or feedback from others)

• P = Physiological & emotional arousal (how your body feels nervous, calm, excited)

“practice

view

voice

pulse “

Developmental Stages of Self-Efficacy

Childhood

Adolescence

Young Adulthood

Middle Adulthood

Old Age

Childhood

• Infants develop self-efficacy by influencing their environment (e.g., learning to walk, talk).

• Parents play a key role in shaping confidence.

• Boys tend to have supportive fathers

• while girls experience pressure for achievement from fathers.

Adolescence

• Challenges such as school, peer relationships, and identity formation test self-efficacy.

• Success in childhood strengthens self-belief; failure can weaken it.

Young Adulthood

• Self-efficacy is needed for career choices, relationships, and parenthood.

• Low self-efficacy can lead to failure in adjusting to these challenges.

Middle Adulthood

• People reassess their careers, relationships, and achievements.

• A strong self-efficacy belief helps individuals adapt and set new goals.

Old Age

• Declining abilities may reduce self-efficacy.

• Those with strong self-efficacy stay more active and engaged

• while those with lower self-efficacy may withdraw from activities & experience physical or mental decline